Tuesday, 29 March 2016 - 09:03
Rotterdam Mayor: Stay vigilant after terrorist arrests
"Choose to report suspicious circumstances too often, instead of not often enough", Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said following the arrest of a suspected French terrorist and three accomplices in Rotterdam. He will attend an information meeting for concerned residents on Tuesday night, NRC reports.
Among the suspects is French national Anis B. who was arrested at the request of the French authorities as he was leaving a building on Burgemeester Meineszstraat on Sunday. Two Algerians with him, aged 43 and 47 years, were also arrested. Later on Sunday a third Algerian man, aged 35 years, was arrested.
The arrests were followed by raids in the apartment where B. was staying as well as the third Algerian's apartment on Mathnesserweg. Money, drugs and ammunition were found during the searches, but no weapons or explosives.
Several dozen bystanders watched the police search the apartments from behind the police tapes. Most can not believe what is happening, and that it is happening so close to home. One 23 year old Moroccan-Dutch bystander told NRC that while he did not expect this to happen in his neighborhood, it is naive to think that Rotterdam is exempt from terrorism.
The Public Prosecutor called the arrest of B. and the three Algerians a "example of proper cooperation", both nationally and internationally. B. will be extradited to France as soon as possible. The other three were arrested as terrorism suspects. The police are investigating if they are guilty of more than simply giving shelter to a terrorist.